60 
AMERICAN AORICULTURIST. 
[FEBRtTAEY, 
U R E' 
1865, the names of fruits have been much sim- 
plified, and instead of JaJousie de Fontenay Ven- 
dee, we have Poire Fontenay, or Fontenay Pear. 
The Beurres and Doyennes are all dropped 
where it can be done without creating confusion, 
and there is a general shortening up of titles. 
While we quite agree with the plan followed in 
this work, we do not advocate indiscriminate 
meddling with such matters, as it would lead to 
inextricable confusion. We hope for a gen- 
eral pomological congress which shall take ac- 
tion to simplify names and adopt rules for nam- 
ing new varieties, that all pomologists will fol- 
low. According to accepted rules, the name by 
which a fruit is first described in a journal de- 
voted to horticultural subjects, must be adopted. 
M U 8 
N 8. 
Engraved for the American AgricutturiH, 
Birds and Squirrels. 
» — . 
The companionship of these beautiful " chil- 
dren of the forest " about our rural homes is a 
constant source of pleasure, an educating in- 
fluence upon ourselves and our children, not to 
be despised. Squirrels eat a good deal of corn, 
but rats eat more ; some birds pluck the early 
cherries, but most prefer the insects that do 
vastly more damage. Squirrels and rats may 
agree pretty well on the same farm, but birds 
and insects do not. Both squirrels and birds 
will become very tame where they have secur- 
ity. Sir. Fuller, of grape and strawberry fame, 
told us a few days ago of the little pets which 
he shelters about hia hospitable homestead. 
Gray squirrels crack their nuts under his eaves, 
and quails and other birds find his domain a 
"city of refuge" from the gunners of the neigh- 
borhood. How quickly the birds will find out 
where they are safe ! These cold days, a few 
handfuls of ready cracked nuts, which Mr. Ful- 
ler or his wife lay at the foot of the apple tree 
for their little furry friends, disappear wonder- 
fully fast. Squirrels may be a nuisance some- 
times, but there are really few families, in the 
country even, to which a pair or two of partly 
domesticated squirrels would not give great 
plesure. What pleasanter music to wake up to, 
of an autumn morning, than the blythe tune of 
some ttirush accompanied by the rattling crackle 
and chatter of such a paii" of nut crackers. 
